We caught up with Jenna Mackie to find out more about starting a business during a pandemic…

Why have you decided to start a business during a pandemic?
It has been an odd and challenging year, but the pandemic has also been a bit of a trigger to reassess what both Owen and I want out of our careers and go for it. We still had a fairly successful year last year which goes to show that despite all the challenges, companies still need great people and we have taken a lot of confidence from that. Plus, when you consider the vaccine rollout and financial forecasts, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel so hopefully if we get it right, we should be able to grow with the wider economy.

We have recently celebrated international women’s day. How does it feel to be a female founder?
Throughout my life I have always had the feeling of wanting to run my own company in some capacity so to now actually be doing it is fantastic, but it also feels a bit surreal. My Dad ran a few businesses in the hospitality industry over the years so I think that fueled the fire a bit. There are not that many female founders in the professional services industry as a whole, although that is starting to change. So, if I can help contribute to instilling a bit more drive in other women to do the same, then that would be a great achievement.

How is Mackie Myers going to set itself apart from the crowd?
A few ways really. There are very few male and female founding partners out there so we think that will give us a slightly different perspective and hopefully an edge. We have a bucket load of experience, both in the industry and working together, and to those that have worked with us, I think that shows. In relation to what we actually do, so many companies say they are going to be different and really focus on people, delivery, excellent service, networks and relationships. My view is that those things should be a given and you will absolutely get that with us.

What we are really excited about is talking to our contacts about our flexible recruitment models. We will always help make great hires, but what we really want is our partnership with clients to be more valued and strategic than how the majority of the market operates. In reframing the question, we have developed our membership offering, which is effectively our answer to the B2C subscription revolution, and our RPO-lite offering where we effectively become an external in-house function helping do much more than just an end-to-end search.

What is life like outside of work?
Quite difficult to say given the last year we have all had! I have an awesome group of friends, many of which live really close around Victoria Park, and a supportive family that gets on really well. I got engaged to Adam a few years ago and we managed to sneak in a small wedding in December before the next load of covid restrictions came in ,which we feel really lucky to have been able to do. Other than that, my two cats, Max and Otis, keep me pretty entertained, and I am really getting into my cooking and broadening my red wine horizons.

What are your goals for 2021?
Professionally, I want the first year of Mackie Myers to be a real success. Really excited to prove the concept of our flexible delivery models, and hopefully we will have hit the market with enough of a bang that we can start growing a team around us.
Personally, my main goal is to have managed to have had our main wedding celebration in Tuscany. It is due to be at the beginning of June, but even if the date has to change, I will be delighted if we manage to make it happen before the year is out.